EDR solutions such as IBM Security ReaQta can assist security teams in identifying “early warning signs” as cyber attackers become skilled in avoiding detection and rapidly encrypting the data of organizations.

As attackers become more rapid and elusive, it has become challenging to navigate a constantly changing threat landscape. Based on the IBM Threat Intelligence Index 2023 report, the time taken by attackers to execute ransomware attacks has decreased by 94% over the last few years, with what used to take months now taking only a few days. As a result, organizations must adopt a proactive strategy to keep up with the increasing speed of attackers.

The problem: Endpoint detection challenges in cybersecurity

The post-pandemic rise in remote work patterns has caused rapid growth and interconnection of endpoints, resulting in a unique set of cybersecurity issues. This new way of working has resulted in a surge in advanced threat activity, and security teams have had to deal with an increased number of alerts to investigate. Unfortunately, many of these alerts turn out to be false positives, leading to significant alert fatigue.

Security teams that are already stretched thin are left with minimal time to respond, making it difficult to protect endpoints from advanced zero-day threats. Without the appropriate endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools, preventing costly business delays can be challenging.

The fix: Amplifying your cybersecurity with EDR solutions

To provide a prompt and effective response, security teams must implement a robust endpoint security solution. This is because endpoint protection plays a crucial role in containing threats before devices are infected or encrypted by ransomware. Additionally, it offers support throughout various stages of the incident response process and fills in gaps left by traditional antivirus solutions by providing enhanced detection, visibility, and control, preventing widespread malware or ransomware damage.

The need: Accelerating your response to threats and improving efficiency within the SOC teams

Rapid detection of endpoint threats and malware reporting can significantly minimize the impact of an attack, leading to significant savings in terms of time and expenses. To develop efficient responses to cyberattacks, defenders can leverage EDR tools to achieve the following:

1. Leverage AI and security automation to speed response to threats.
2. Improve efficiency within the Ops teams to save both time and expenses.
3. Get high-fidelity alerts that help reduce analyst workloads.
4. Gain deep visibility into all processes and applications running on all endpoint devices.

IBM Security ReaQta is a sophisticated and user-friendly EDR solution that can aid in all of these areas. Let’s explore how it works.

1. Leverage AI and security automation to speed response to threats

By utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technology, ReaQta provides a high degree of automation in detecting and addressing endpoint threats. It can swiftly identify and resolve both known and unknown threats or fileless attacks in near real time. To gain a better understanding of ReaQta’s malware detection and automated response capabilities, let’s take a closer look at how it functions.

ReaQta dashboard

IBM Security ReaQta provides an alert overview of your endpoint ecosystem.

The ReaQta dashboard is intentionally designed to be simple and straightforward, in contrast to other complex dashboards. It provides a minimalist and user-friendly interface that makes it easy to use. The home screen displays a comprehensive summary of alerts, indicating the status of all endpoint devices.

An alert is triggered

The behavioral tree triggers an alert on detecting any anomalies.

IBM Security ReaQta promptly detects anomalous activities such as ransomware behavior. If any abnormal behavior is detected, the system generates an automatic alert. The severity of the alert, which in this case is medium, is displayed in the upper left corner of the screen. The right side of the screen provides additional information about the alert, such as the cause of the trigger point, the affected endpoints, and how the threat is linked to the MITRE ATT&CK framework.

Investigating the alert

Security teams can quickly analyze if the threat is malicious or benign by clicking Alert details.

Analysts can quickly assess whether a threat is malicious or benign and determine if it is a false positive by clicking on the alert details page. This speeds up the response process and reduces alert fatigue, as analysts do not need to waste time and effort sifting through extensive event logs to pinpoint the source of the problem.

A visual storyline is automatically created as an attack unfolds.

Whenever an alert is generated, a behavior tree is constructed, offering complete visibility into the alert and attack. This user-friendly and visually compelling narrative presents a chronological timeline of the attack, including the applications and behaviors that triggered the alert and how the attack unfolded. Security teams can easily access a comprehensive overview of the threat activity on a single screen, enabling them to make quick decisions.

Detailed behavioral analytics and full attack visibility

Full attack visibility ensures analysts understand the scope of the attack and respond accordingly.

Detailed information about the launched applications is available by clicking on the circles in the behavioral tree function. Although nothing may appear suspicious at this stage, some attacks initiated through signed applications may elude antivirus or firewall software.

Simple behavior tree visualization for alert prioritization

Analysts can easily prioritize their search when looking for an alert.

To expedite analysts’ examination, ReaQta presents the threat activity through an uncomplicated behavior tree representation using circles and hexagons. Circles represent applications, while hexagons denote behaviors. Each shape has a different color: red indicates high risk, orange indicates medium risk, and yellow indicates low risk. These colors indicate the severity and assist security teams in prioritizing their search when investigating an alert.

2. Improving efficiency within the operations teams with ReaQta

The use of EDR security tools such as ReaQta can enhance the operational efficiency of security teams by allowing for swift and efficient threat remediation, process termination, and isolation of infected devices. In addition, ReaQta supports forensic analysis and reconstruction of the root cause of the attack, enabling operations teams to quickly remediate threats and restore business continuity.

Remediating and isolating threats with ReaQta

Quick view showing how many other endpoints were affected by the malicious activity.

After identifying a malicious threat, analysts can use ReaQta to quickly respond and protect the system. They can access containment controls to triage the threat and create a blocklist policy that prevents the threat from running on other endpoints.

By checking the number of compromised endpoints, security teams can determine whether the threat has been isolated or is recurring. They can terminate the threats and isolate infected endpoints from the network, regardless of their location, such as Singapore, the U.S., the UK, Africa, and so on. If the endpoint is connected to the server, the malware can be terminated and added to the blocklist in real time.

Preventing similar threats in the future

Analysts can create workflows to counteract similar threats.

With ReaQta, you can establish workflows that target specific threats, which can be automatically activated when a similar threat is detected in the future.

As part of the remediation plan, ReaQta offers the ability to choose and remove any dropped executables, filesystem, or registry persistence. Users can also select which endpoints to isolate and then close the alert.

3. Get high-fidelity alerts that help reduce analyst workloads

ReaQta is capable of producing alerts of high quality and can help in reducing investigation time from minutes to seconds by utilizing threat intelligence and analysis scoring. Analysts can quickly identify potential cyber threats by utilizing the metadata-based analysis to speed up triage. Additionally, ReaQta’s threat-hunting capabilities enable real-time infrastructure-wide searches for indicators of compromise (IOC), behaviors, and binaries.

Threat classification to help reduce false positives

Cyber Assistant learns from analyst decisions and helps reduce alert fatigue.

After closing an alert, it is crucial for the analyst to determine whether the threat was malicious or benign as Cyber Assistant, an AI-based alert management system within the endpoint protection platform, constantly learns from the analyst’s actions.

The system gathers data and applies AI algorithms to constantly learn from threat patterns and identify similar threats. If a new threat exhibits telemetry above 85% similarity to a known threat, it leverages its learned behaviors to classify the new threat accordingly.

The knowledge gained by Cyber Assistant helps to decrease the number of false positives. As a result, it improves the accuracy of high alerts and reduces the workload of analysts, thereby minimizing alert fatigue and enhancing the efficiency of security teams.

4. Gain deep visibility into all processes and applications running on all endpoint devices

The NanoOS is a lightweight agent that operates at the hypervisor layer outside of the operating systems. It is intentionally designed to be undetectable, making it impervious to modifications, shutdowns, or replacements by malware or attackers.

NanoOS, which sits in the hypervisor layer and is undetectable, can be leveraged by security teams to covertly track the movements of attackers to comprehend their goals until the security team terminates their access. Once this is done, the ReaQta security solution can be implemented to remediate compromised devices without any disruption.

Conclusion

IBM Security ReaQta is an effective endpoint security solution that helps cybersecurity teams identify vulnerabilities. Although endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions are not the only protection mechanism for threat detection, they should be the first mechanism, along with an extended detection and response (XDR) security solution, to identify suspicious behavior.

IBM Security ReaQta seamlessly integrates with QRadar SIEM, enabling organizations to have a more secure defense system that unifies protect, detect, and response capabilities, thereby improving their IT security against advanced cyberattacks.

ReaQta also offers a 24×7 managed detection and response (MDR) service that serves as an extension of your security team, ensuring that endpoint threats are contained and remediated as soon as they are detected.

 

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Exploring the crucial role of IBM zSystems in IBM’s hybrid cloud environment.

At times, industry colleagues may discuss the idea of moving away from the mainframe or raise doubts about the ongoing relevance of the IBM zSystems platform in delivering unique value to their businesses. While public clouds, edge solutions, and distributed technologies all have important roles to play within a hybrid cloud setup, IBM zSystems remains crucial for numerous enterprise IT environments, including IBM’s own. This is due to its ability to offer the necessary performance, resilience, security, sustainability, and efficiency required for handling mission-critical workloads.

In this context, they help to debunk certain misconceptions and elucidate the significant role that IBM zSystems currently plays and will continue to play in IBM’s hybrid cloud setup, both in the present and the future.

Myth: The mainframe is no longer core to IBM’s own enterprise IT portfolio or strategy

Truth: IBM zSystems platform is a fundamental component of our hybrid cloud strategy, and as an organization, we heavily rely on it currently. This dependence is not only because they produce and distribute zSystems, but because it is, without a doubt, the most suitable platform for the tasks at hand. IBM operate nearly 600 applications, with at least one segment running on IBM zSystems, which constitutes over 65% of all financially critical applications. Business-critical functions like quote-to-cash, finance, and HR operations run on z/OS, z/VM, and Linux on zSystems. This includes IBM’s integrated enterprise resource planning (iERP) solution, our global credit system, accounting information repository, global logistics system, and our common ledger system.

Myth: The mainframe is expensive

Truth: The overall cost of maintaining applications on IBM zSystems can be lower than migrating to alternative platforms, owing to the platform’s extended lifespan, high utilization, and backward compatibility. By adopting a technology business management (TBM) approach, we are actively showcasing that applications hosted on zSystems can exhibit superior performance, enhanced security, and lower total cost of ownership in a contemporary operating environment. Numerous clients have also realized the benefits of utilizing existing capacity on IBM zSystems, which results in a reduction in public cloud expenses. Additionally, we employ “intelligent workload placement” by moving containerized application workloads across different architectures to optimize performance, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness. This approach forms the core of a modern, efficient hybrid cloud setup.

Myth: Modern applications don’t run on the mainframe

Truth: IBM zSystems provides a secure, cost-effective, and energy-efficient platform for hosting contemporary applications. By incorporating Red Hat OpenShift and Red Hat Enterprise Linux on IBM systems, alongside continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines and Infrastructure as Code, it presents a compelling and contemporary environment that harnesses the expertise of agile developers.

Myth: If “cloud” is the destination, we should move applications off the mainframe

Truth: Absolutely not! Within a hybrid cloud ecosystem, the placement of application workloads must be optimized to cater to operational needs that balance factors such as sustainability, performance, agility, reliability, and cost-effectiveness. IBM zSystems outshines other platforms in several areas, including Infrastructure as Code, transparent operating system patching without application downtime, enhanced security, increased reliability, and a reduced environmental footprint. With the incorporation of CI/CD pipelines for applications on IBM zSystems, it bears a striking resemblance to operations on other cloud architectures.

Myth: We need specialized and antiquated skills to use the mainframe

Truth: Contemporary tools lessen the demand for specialized expertise in maintaining outdated technologies still used by certain business applications. Notably, IBM zSystems supports a range of modern technologies and tools, such as Python, YAML, Java, Kubernetes, and Ansible. To make the most of IBM zSystems’ capabilities, it’s necessary to possess proficiency in these skills, which are becoming increasingly essential in our team and the industry as a whole. By combining modern skills with the platform’s cutting-edge features, we can achieve all the benefits that a pivotal component of a modern hybrid cloud operating environment has to offer.

Myth: The mainframe is old

Truth: Would you regard a 2023 Ferrari as outdated? Neither would I. Despite being renowned for their backward compatibility, the latest IBM z16 and IBM LinuxONE 4 (specifically for Linux-only environments) are equipped with cutting-edge features such as embedded AI processors, pervasive encryption, and quantum-safe cryptography. With these innovations, contemporary IBM zSystems boast unparalleled performance, availability, and security, which have been trusted by renowned global entities like banks, insurance companies, airline reservation systems, and retailers, owing to their demonstrated transaction processing prowess and resilience.

 

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In today’s business landscape, companies utilize applications and services that are dispersed among on-premises infrastructure, multiple cloud environments, and intelligent edge networks.

As we approach 2025, the majority of enterprise data – approximately 75% – is projected to be generated and managed at the edge. Furthermore, due to the growing adoption of a hybrid work model, enterprise application users are increasingly mobile.

The changing demands of applications and users are beyond the scope of traditional networking models, such as conventional SDN solutions. As a result, NetOps and CloudOps teams are under mounting pressure. In the absence of the ability to provide networking for applications in a detailed manner and with limited tools to enforce policies in a dynamic setting, NetOps teams are finding it challenging to maintain fine-grained control of the network and promptly address the evolving requirements of the applications.

Understanding the obstacles in the way

To ensure a seamless experience for customers and employees, DevOps teams within the Enterprise Line of Business (LoB) are tasked with maintaining the performance and reliability of their applications. In this context, the way applications and services are interconnected is just as crucial as the applications themselves. Regrettably, NetOps teams are often brought in towards the end of the application development process, making networking an afterthought.

According to feedback from IBM’s customers, the three most common IT connectivity challenges that lead to deployment delays are:

1. Multi-dimensional connectivity: Complicated processes involving DevOps, NetOps, and SecOps teams are resulting in prolonged provisioning times for establishing detailed connectivity between applications and services. It is not uncommon for network provisioning to take several weeks.
2. Network agility: DevOps teams expect network automation to offer the same level of agility as they experience in the compute and storage domains. Unfortunately, network automation is frequently not as mature as computing and storage automation and falls short of fulfilling expectations.
3. Lack of visibility caused by silos: The Operations (Ops) teams frequently operate independently, with their performance metrics and Service Level Agreements (SLAs) existing in isolation from one another. Consequently, troubleshooting degraded application performance can become convoluted and protracted.

Are we ready for DevOps-friendly, application-centric connectivity?

Reevaluating connectivity from an application standpoint can provide a solution to the aforementioned challenges, allowing DevOps teams to achieve self-service connectivity under the supervision of the NetOps and SecOps teams. By seamlessly integrating connectivity provisioning as an extra step in the CI/CD pipeline, DevOps teams can view the network as an additional cloud resource, resulting in straightforward, scalable, smooth, and secure application-level connectivity in any environment, whether on-premises, at the edge, or in the cloud.

This model also ensures consistent policy administration throughout all aspects of IT, significantly streamlining policy management and improving security measures.

By conceptualizing networks within the framework of applications and merging NetOps with DevOps and SecOps, enterprises can experience significant advantages, including:

• Seamless auto-discovery across applications and infrastructure resources.
• Single centralized management and policy control with clear mapping between business context and underlying network constructs.
• The ability to make the network “follow the application” when services move across locations.
• Elimination of silos between different Ops teams.
• “Built-in” zero-trust security architecture owing to the ability to operate and connect at an individual microservice level, drastically reducing the attack surface.
• Simplification of networks owing to the clear separation of application-level connectivity and security policies at the overlay, thereby resulting in a highly simplified underlay

 

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In what ways can companies set their customer experience apart by incorporating robust and all-encompassing digital commerce and order management features?

To cultivate a devoted customer base, businesses allocate substantial resources towards customizing experiences, refining merchandising tactics, and streamlining order processing and delivery. By utilizing digital tools, companies can create distinctive offerings that distinguish them from their rivals and cater to evolving customer preferences. This fosters customer loyalty, as satisfied customers tend to return and spend more at their preferred shopping destinations. Hence, Adobe and IBM have joined forces to craft cutting-edge digital customer experiences that captivate and satisfy customers.

The Adobe and IBM Partnership

In the realm of digital customer experience, Adobe, and IBM are prominent contenders, providing various solutions aimed at enriching the customer journey. These solutions encompass innovative experience creation tools, persuasive content, AI-powered customization, and attractive visual merchandising, along with precise inventory tracking and powerful order processing and delivery capabilities.

Through Adobe Commerce, enterprises can fashion immersive and tailored shopping encounters, serving all channels and enterprise models via a unified, adaptable, and expandable platform. The platform harnesses the power of Adobe Sensei AI to fine-tune marketing and merchandising strategies while empowering companies to handle customer data, products, and orders from a single location. Adobe Commerce is an integral component of the Adobe Experience Cloud, and it seamlessly integrates with other solutions like Adobe Experience Platform to furnish businesses with actionable intelligence on customer behavior and real-time context, helping them tailor their marketing approaches accordingly.

Businesses worldwide rely on Adobe Commerce to propel their digital transformation endeavors and achieve swift and significant outcomes. A prime instance is the Alshaya Group, which, with the assistance of Adobe Commerce and Adobe Consulting Services, could launch 30 novel e-commerce sites and 2 mobile applications within 12 months, resulting in a 268% year-over-year surge in online transactions. According to Marc van der Heijden, CTO of the Alshaya Group, “Collaborating with Adobe is a crucial component of our strategy, enabling us to innovate in tandem and execute these transformations expeditiously.”

IBM, on the contrary, furnishes an assortment of order management solutions under its IBM Sustainability Software portfolio. These solutions encompass IBM Sterling Order Management, which facilitates the handling of orders across multiple channels and devices, and IBM Sterling Intelligent Promising, which helps optimize inventory levels and lower expenses via precise, real-time promise and order scheduling. The Order Management suite streamlines the management of orders from the point of purchase to delivery, involving activities such as monitoring orders, updating inventory status, and processing returns and exchanges. These capabilities are indispensable for ensuring that customers receive their orders punctually and accurately. Moreover, IBM Sterling Order Management selects the most suitable locations for product sourcing (with the least order splits), promoting sustainable fulfillment operations, and assisting companies in their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) objectives.

IBM has established its dominance in the Order Management domain via pioneering breakthroughs, notably in integrating artificial intelligence and machine learning to inform sourcing and fulfillment decisions, resulting in quantifiable real-time ROI benefits. IBM’s novel approach to “Transparent AI” garnered recognition, with IHL positioning the company as the top leader in the 2022  IHL Order Management Market study.

Trust and visibility through an integrated solution

IBM and Adobe have collaborated to create an integrated solution that assists businesses in streamlining and optimizing their supply chain and order management processes while integrating them into the digital commerce experience. This encompasses everything from precise real-time inventory management to sturdy order orchestration and outstanding customer service, reinforced by tools to monitor and evaluate customer data to enhance the overall customer experience. The collaborative solution assumes added significance in a world that necessitates a strong interconnectedness between digital commerce and the supply chain.

An important underpinning for contemporary merchandising strategies that offer pertinent and customized assortments is to understand customer behavior and synchronize supply strategies with projected customer demand. Customers determine the location and mode of purchasing, which significantly alters the inventory availability scenario, necessitating a robust order management solution to anchor the digital customer experience.

The joint solution allows companies to integrate supply chains health metrics, such as inventory positions, velocity, and demand, into real-time marketing and merchandising to effectively engage customers, thereby enhancing experiences and satisfaction by fulfilling inventory commitments. This also enables companies to allocate marketing budgets. Furthermore, real-time recommendations and insights can be utilized to enhance shopper engagement when they collect their orders in-store or interact with customer service representatives.

An important aspect of this solution is its adaptability to integrate with various existing systems and diverse operating models, including ecosystem partners and multiple formats. This allows businesses to strengthen their current operations and reap immediate benefits while also providing a platform for expediting digital transformation and innovation.

One example of the agility and adaptability of businesses was demonstrated during the pandemic, as retailers quickly implemented innovative strategies to navigate the “new normal”. When salons and barbershops were temporarily closed, Sally Beauty Inc. experienced an unexpected surge in demand from adventurous work-from-home shoppers who opted for DIY hair dye kits, including purple hair color.

“Thank goodness we have the IBM Sterling platform to help us keep ahead and respond quickly to marketplace demands.” – Sonoma Taylor, VP of Solution Delivery, Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc.

A solution for today’s changing times

The collaboration between Adobe and IBM has yielded an impressive solution that combines marketing and customer engagement with supply chain and order management processes, resulting in improved efficiency and higher customer satisfaction. It serves as an excellent illustration of how two companies with complementary expertise have joined forces to create a solution that surpasses their individual capabilities.

IBM iX, the business design arm of IBM Consulting, offers a wide array of tools and journey maps that companies can leverage to chart their transformation journey.

Adobe and IBM have established a robust network of partners and system integrators with specialized product and domain expertise and a focus on enhancing customer experience. These partners can assist businesses in achieving swift success and time-to-value in their digital transformation journey. Get in touch with us today to initiate the process of effecting change together.

 

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Here at CourseMonster, we know how hard it may be to find the right time and funds for training. We provide effective training programs that enable you to select the training option that best meets the demands of your company.

For more information, please get in touch with one of our course advisers today or contact us at training@coursemonster.com

How environmentally friendly organizations can use green coding to drive long-term success.

Two decades ago, coding was subject to limitations such as bandwidth constraints and processing power restrictions, which compelled developers to be mindful of the size and intricacy of their code. However, with the advent of more advanced technology, programmers are no longer bound by these restrictions.

As an illustration, enhanced computing power facilitated quicker processing of vast files and applications. Open-source libraries and frameworks enabled software engineers to recycle segments of code in their projects, opening up greater possibilities. Nonetheless, this resulted in programs with a higher number of lines of code, necessitating more processing power to parse it. As an unintended outcome, this led to increased energy consumption and a surge in global electricity demand.

In the pursuit of advancing sustainable practices and transforming their businesses, companies are delving into their established processes to uncover novel efficiencies. This involves scrutinizing the foundational components of their business operations, such as optimizing data storage and reviewing their coding methods.

What is green coding?

Green coding is an environmentally sustainable approach to computing that aims to minimize the energy required to process lines of code, thereby enabling organizations to curtail their overall energy consumption. In response to the crisis of climate change and global regulations, many organizations have established targets for reducing their greenhouse emissions, and green coding represents a means of advancing these sustainability objectives.

Green coding is a subset of green computing, which endeavors to mitigate the environmental impact of technology, including diminishing the carbon footprint of resource-intensive processes like manufacturing lines, data centers, and even the routine operations of business teams. The broader domain of green computing encompasses green software as well, which refers to applications developed using eco-friendly coding practices.

The proliferation of technology, including advancements in big data and data mining, has led to a significant surge in energy usage within the information and communications technology industry. The Association for Computing Machinery reports that energy consumption at data centers has doubled over the past ten years. Presently, computing and IT are accountable for generating between 1.8% and 3.9% of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions.

The high energy consumption of computing

To gain a comprehensive comprehension of how green coding can curtail energy usage and minimize greenhouse gas emissions, it is useful to delve into the energy consumption of software:

• Infrastructure: The physical components of IT infrastructure, including the hardware, networks, and other elements, necessitate energy to operate. In most organizations, there may be instances where the computing infrastructure is excessively complex or provisioned, leading to wasteful energy consumption.
• Processing: As software operates, it utilizes energy. The level of energy consumption is directly proportional to the complexity of the software or the size of the file, as more processing time is required, resulting in greater energy usage.
• DevOps: During the conventional coding process, developers generate lines of code that undergo parsing and processing through a device. The device necessitates energy, which unless sourced entirely from renewable sources, generates carbon emissions. As the volume of code increases, the device consumes more energy, resulting in a greater quantity of emissions.

Recent research into the pace and energy consumption of various programming languages has revealed that C is the swiftest and most efficient in terms of diminishing energy usage and memory consumption, thereby presenting another avenue for potential energy savings. Nonetheless, there is some dispute regarding how this is achieved and which metrics should be employed to evaluate energy savings.

Writing more sustainable software

Green coding originates from the same principles as traditional coding. In order to curtail the amount of energy necessary to process code, developers can incorporate less energy-intensive coding principles into their DevOps lifecycle.

The “lean coding” strategy centers on utilizing the minimal amount of processing required to deliver a finished application. For instance, website developers may give priority to decreasing file size, such as substituting high-quality media with smaller files. This approach not only hastens website loading times but also enhances the user experience.

The goal of lean coding is also to minimize code bloat, which refers to code that is needlessly long or sluggish and uses up resources inefficiently. Open-source code can contribute to software bloat since it is meant to support a wide array of applications and consists of a substantial amount of code that is unused for the particular software. For instance, a developer might import an entire library into an image, despite only requiring a fraction of its functionality. This redundant code utilizes extra processing power and leads to superfluous carbon emissions.

When developers implement lean coding practices, they tend to create code that necessitates only the least amount of processing while still accomplishing desired outcomes.

Implementing green coding

The principles of green coding are generally intended to supplement the present IT sustainability standards and practices employed throughout the organization. Comparable to incorporating sustainability efforts in other departments of the organization, green coding necessitates both cultural and structural modifications.

Structural changes

• Improving energy use at the core: Applications that rely on multi-core processors can be programmed to enhance energy efficiency. To illustrate, code can explicitly command processors to shut down and restart within microseconds, instead of depending on default energy-saving settings that might not be as effective.
• Efficiency in IT: This methodology, also known as green IT or green computing, aims to optimize resources and consolidate workloads in order to minimize energy consumption. By utilizing modern tools such as virtual machines (VMs) and containers, organizations can optimize their IT infrastructure and reduce the number of physical servers required for operations. This leads to decreased energy consumption and lower carbon intensity.
• Microservices: Breaking down complex software into smaller, independent services called microservices is becoming a widely adopted method for application development. With microservices, only the necessary services are called upon when needed, as opposed to running a large, monolithic program in its entirety. This approach can result in more efficient application performance.
• Cloud-based DevOps: One way to reduce energy consumption in applications is to use distributed cloud infrastructure, which can decrease the amount of data that needs to be transported over the network and ultimately reduce the energy used by the network.

Cultural changes

• Empower management and employees: To achieve effective change, both employees and management must be onboard. Consistent messaging to the entire DevOps team can encourage adoption, support the sustainability agenda, and make team members feel like they are part of the solution.
• Encourage innovation: Encouraging innovation and promoting collaboration are key drivers for DevOps teams. Organizations can leverage this motivation by encouraging teams to explore novel ways to use data insights, collaborate with partners, and take advantage of other energy-saving opportunities.
• Stay focused on outcomes: When adopting new initiatives such as green coding, it’s important to anticipate potential challenges that may arise. By doing so, companies can be better prepared to address these issues and handle them more effectively.

Benefits of green coding

Apart from the benefits of reducing energy consumption, companies may discover additional advantages to adopting green coding practices, such as:

• Reduced energy costs: One guiding principle is to use less and spend less. As energy prices become more volatile, organizations aim to reduce their power consumption not only for environmental reasons but also to ensure business sustainability.
• Accelerated progress toward sustainability goals: Many organizations today are committed to achieving net zero emission goals or have strategic initiatives in place to reduce emissions and increase sustainability. Adopting green coding practices can help organizations make progress toward reaching these goals.
• Higher earnings: According to the IBM 2022 CEO Study, CEOs who implement sustainability and digital transformation initiatives such as green coding report a higher average operating margin compared to their peers.
• Better development discipline: Green coding allows programmers to simplify complex infrastructures, which can ultimately save time and reduce the amount of code that software engineers need to write.

Green coding and IBM

To learn more about IBM’s approach to green coding, you can begin by reading the white paper from the Institute for Business Value titled “IT Sustainability Beyond the Data Center.”

The white paper explores the important role that software developers can play in advocating for responsible computing and green IT. It examines the four primary sources of emissions from IT infrastructure and examines how the hybrid cloud can fulfill the potential of green IT.

Optimizing your infrastructure is an important step in reducing your carbon footprint and making better use of resources. One of the most efficient ways to improve energy efficiency is to automatically configure resources to minimize energy waste and carbon emissions. IBM’s Turbonomic Application Resource Management is a software platform that can automate important actions to deliver the most efficient use of compute, storage, and network resources to your applications at every layer of the stack in real time. With this tool, you can achieve greater efficiency without risking application performance.

By ensuring that applications only use the resources they require to function, it is possible to boost utilization, cut energy expenses and carbon emissions, and achieve consistently efficient operations. With IBM Turbonomic, customers have experienced up to a 70% reduction in growth spend avoidance by gaining a better understanding of application demand. Check out the latest Forrester TEI study to learn how IT can contribute to your organization’s drive towards sustainable IT operations while ensuring top-notch application performance both in the data center and the cloud.

One important approach to promote green computing is to opt for energy-efficient IT infrastructure in on-premises and cloud data centers. IBM LinuxONE Emperor 4 servers, for instance, can reduce energy consumption by 75% and space by 50% while providing the same workloads as x86 servers. Green coding can further reduce energy needs by leveraging containerization, interpreter/compiler optimization, and hardware accelerators.

 

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Here at CourseMonster, we know how hard it may be to find the right time and funds for training. We provide effective training programs that enable you to select the training option that best meets the demands of your company.

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Creating customer experiences in the metaverse is more about the approach rather than the headset itself.

Jeffrey Castellano, an expert in spatial computing and extended reality (XR), assists clients and partners in identifying the genuine benefits of the metaverse, a system of emerging technologies. He believes that the emphasis should not be on virtual reality (VR) headsets but on enhancing customer experiences.

According to Castellano, a sole focus on technology can give the wrong idea that businesses have to wait for a dominant metaverse platform to arise before they can start developing. He views the metaverse as evolving, similarly to how the internet became. The internet is not just a technology but a framework for connecting information and the same is true for the metaverse which is about creating connection points. This distinction is crucial as the reasons why companies seek opportunities in the metaverse are driven by cultural factors and not the success or failure of specific hardware or technology platforms. Castellano’s goal is to promote improvement in customer experiences by considering the cultural and paradigm shift.

According to Castellano, an overemphasis on technology can result in a backward approach to building for the metaverse, like “starting from the finish line”. Instead, he suggests designing for the customer experiences that already exist and finding ways to enhance these experiences through metaverse-like features. This could range from incorporating avatars in meeting software to enhance collaboration to developing a digital twin of a jet engine to enable engineers to solve issues remotely. The goal is to improve existing experiences rather than starting from scratch.

When designing improved user experiences, haptics, and augmented reality (AR) glasses are merely a few of the many tools available. The metaverse is a collection of constantly evolving technologies that immerse users in a real-time social network of commerce-enabled 3D spaces. This encompasses virtual reality, characterized by ongoing virtual worlds that persist even when the user is not present, as well as augmented reality, which blends elements of the digital and physical worlds. Moreover, virtual spaces like those in online multiplayer video games such as Fortnite, which can be played on existing computers, game consoles, and phones, are also part of the metaverse. This means that organizations don’t have to wait for the metaverse to fully emerge before they can start building for it.

According to researchers at Gartner, it is estimated that by 2026, one-fourth of the population will spend a minimum of one hour daily in the metaverse for work, leisure, or education. Given the significant potential customer base, estimated by J.P. Morgan to be over USD 1 trillion, enterprises cannot afford to wait for a platform shakeout to realize their metaverse aspirations. Adopting a gradual approach to building towards the metaverse reduces investment risk and each step taken will yield a return on investment. Castellano believes that this process will be self-sustaining, with the end goal eventually paying for itself.

Here are five steps that businesses can take to develop cutting-edge customer experiences that keep pace with the evolving metaverse.

1. Define your metaverse

There is no one-size-fits-all solution to unlocking the metaverse. Each organization must create its own approach and experiences that align with its specific needs and goals, such as offering 3D try-before-you-buy options or virtual spaces for customer interaction. The metaverse implementations will vary greatly between industries, such as retail, banking, and manufacturing. Developing a clear definition of your metaverse, sometimes referred to as a micro verse, will help keep you focused and ensure a well-thought-out strategy. Castellano emphasizes that success depends on understanding what your customers and employees need. The IBM Institute for Business Value report offers insights into how enterprises are approaching this strategy.

2. Map the user experience

When it comes to creating immersive experiences, there are numerous options, including 3D interactions, spatial computing, virtual world-building, and identity management. Businesses that are building for the metaverse should view themselves as the creators of their customers’ experiences. The first step is to match potential customer journeys in the metaverse with existing use cases that are already successful for your customers. This will help you develop digital assets and metaverse experiences that complement existing paths.

3. Architect your infrastructure

According to Jeffrey Castellano, enterprises should focus on “horizontal enablement” when developing their metaverse. This means ensuring that the metaverse infrastructure is connected with the existing technology and has a unified back end, allowing for seamless integration and diverse experiences. Castellano suggests building metaverse experiences that complement the existing ecosystem and APIs, enhancing customer interactions with metaverse moments.

4. Prepare your people

In order to successfully integrate your customer experiences into a 3D environment, your teams need to be equipped with the skills and knowledge to work in this new landscape. As you work to enhance your technical capabilities, it is important to also invest in training your personnel in the various aspects of this digital world, including production workflows, blockchain technology, system interoperability, virtual storefront management, cryptocurrency, and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). By developing these specialized skills, your teams can gain a competitive advantage.

5. Secure the virtual perimeter

Security and identity are key concerns for businesses as more customers are attracted to the metaverse. With the risk of malware, identity theft, and other data threats, it is crucial for organizations to integrate security measures like smart identity, cryptography, and access management into their metaverse experiences. Otherwise, they risk not only data breaches but also losing customer loyalty. The cost of a single data breach in the US is the highest in the world at $9.44 million, which is more than five times the global average. To ensure the success of their metaverse, businesses must take steps to protect their customers’ data and maintain their trust.

Stepping into the metaverse can seem challenging given the unknowns of how it will be adopted by the general public. However, this has also been the case in the past with the introduction of the web, social media, and mobile technology. Those who delayed taking action in those technological shifts eventually fell behind. As the metaverse is still in its early stages, it is the ideal time to start exploring it. This is not a futuristic concept, but something that is happening now, according to Castellano.

 

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Here at CourseMonster, we know how hard it may be to find the right time and funds for training. We provide effective training programs that enable you to select the training option that best meets the demands of your company.

For more information, please get in touch with one of our course advisers today or contact us at training@coursemonster.com

Recently, IBM X-Force has received a significant rise in requests for creating cyber ranges, which are simulated environments for companies to train and practice their response to cyberattacks using real-world conditions, tools, and procedures. The growing demand for cyber ranges reflects a recognition by companies of the importance of preparing and testing their cyber defense strategies.

What is causing the heightened demand for cyber ranges? The shift towards remote and hybrid work due to the COVID-19 pandemic has made it more important for teams to train and collaborate effectively in preparation for potential security incidents. This has made cyber ranges a higher priority.

Another factor contributing to the demand for cyber ranges is the increasing frequency of high-profile cyber attacks resulting in seven-figure losses and public exposure, which can harm a company’s reputation and financial performance. The devastating effects of data breaches and ransomware attacks have underlined the importance of having a well-practiced and effective incident response plan in place to prevent or minimize the damage caused by such incidents.

If you determine that your cybersecurity team and other stakeholders involved in your cyberattack response plan need to train together, then investing in a dedicated cyber range becomes an economically attractive option. With a dedicated cyber range, an organization can train a larger number of employees more efficiently.

Before making a final decision to invest in a cyber range, it’s important to thoroughly assess both the advantages and disadvantages. The main drawback to consider is that a dedicated cyber range may not be suitable for the organization’s long-term needs and might end up being underutilized, which could make the costs of constructing and maintaining it unjustifiably. On the other hand, some organizations may prefer to conduct cyberattack simulations remotely in order to more accurately reflect the real working environment of their teams.

This article will serve as an introductory guide to evaluating the need for a cyber range and will provide steps to help determine what type of training environment would be most suitable for your team.

Why Build a Cyber Range? Mandatory Training, Certifications, and Compliance

Building a cyber range is crucial as it offers a highly effective means of enhancing the collaboration and expertise of your team. Regular practice and hands-on experience improve teamwork and equip the team with the necessary skills to make informed decisions during a cyberattack. Cyber ranges allow for the simulation of real attack scenarios, providing the team with a practical and immersive exercise in responding to such events.

Another benefit of having access to a cyber range is that it satisfies the mandatory cyber training requirements set forth in various compliance certifications and insurance policies. These requirements, established by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), mandate that organizations allocate budgets toward relevant cyber training.

Satisfying the mandatory training requirements can be accomplished in various ways. Employees may be required to obtain certifications from organizations like the SANS Institute, depending on their role in the company. Alternately, the requirements can be met through micro-certifications and online coursework using remote learning platforms like Coursera. Opting for a cyber range does not always require building one internally.

A Cyber Training Progression in Stages: From Self-Study to Fully Operational Cyber Ranges

When consulting with our customers, we present them with multiple options for setting up a cyber range and suggest a phased approach. Each phase is suited for varying levels of involvement, intensity, and desire for a comprehensive cyber range experience.

Stage 1: Self-Training, Certifications, and Labs

The first stage, referred to as the “blocking and tackling” phase, covers the basic necessities for adequate cybersecurity training. It provides the foundational knowledge required for further education and meeting cyber training mandates. Stage 1 may encompass:

• SANS training course in desired areas of expertise
• Finishing Coursera self-paced online or MOOC classes and obtaining the required certification of completion.
• Specialized classes such as reverse engineering malware or network forensics delve into the methods attackers use to move through networks undetected, etc.

An additional component of Stage 1 is hands-on labs that allow participants to perform tasks or simulate blue-team or red-team actions. The labs should emphasize both outcomes and completion, allowing participants to evaluate their ability to identify and mitigate attacks efficiently and effectively, as well as understand the key tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) involved in the simulated attacks.

Stage 2: Team and Wider-Scale Corporate Exercises

In Stage 2, more established organizations can advance to organized group exercises that follow a structured curriculum. This requires dedicated computing infrastructure or hardware (some companies opt to use their existing workstations). During these exercises, all relevant parties apply their acquired knowledge to orchestrate a coordinated response. One option is to pit red teams against blue teams, and involve threat intelligence teams and other security personnel from the company’s security operations center.

For a more immersive and realistic experience in this stage, you may consider involving other teams such as marketing. Including operational technology (OT) teams is highly recommended, as recent ransomware attacks have targeted not only IT devices but also OT devices.

Leaders in the business sector can greatly benefit from participating in immersive, coordinated exercises. By witnessing and experiencing what other teams go through and how they respond, they gain valuable context that can be applied in real crisis situations. The most advanced cyber response team exercises can involve a large number of team members and span several days.

Stage 3: The Collaborative Cyber Range With Vendors, Customers, and Partners

Having a coordinated response plan for your organization is a good beginning. But what about the people surrounding you—your customers, vendors, and partners? The widespread use of digital infrastructure, the connection to APIs, the growing number of connected devices, and the various types of connections make it essential to collaborate with your closest third parties in the event of an attack.

The importance of a well-coordinated response is clear. The world has become increasingly interconnected, with organizations having numerous connections to vendors, customers, and partners. This has expanded the potential attack surface, making supply chain attacks a preferred tactic for cybercriminals and nation-state actors. These attacks can be challenging to identify as they come from a trusted source, and they can be used to secure future access, move across networks, and spread horizontally within an organization.

More and more companies are recognizing the need for a coordinated response to cybersecurity threats at the ecosystem level. Some businesses are even making it a requirement for partnerships and key vendor relationships. CISOs and risk management teams are looking beyond just certifications, like SOC2 or ISO 27001, and want to assess the actual readiness and capabilities of their key partners and vendors.

For instance, when a company works with a bank that uses a payment processor that in turn uses a clearinghouse, these three entities are closely linked and may have established protocols for working together, detecting issues, and responding to a breach. It’s crucial that they know how to contain and stop a cyberattack involving one or more of them. Having a risk-aware partnership and identifying specific risks for each party can lead to a more robust, comprehensive, and rapid response in the event of an attack. This is why multiple parties are often included in a collaborative exercise – to establish procedures and norms for a nimble and precise collaborative response.

Keeping Your Training and Range Lively With Fresh Content and Context

The reason for organizations building their own cyber ranges is due to the increase in attack types and severity. Previously, threats would take months to emerge but now it can be in a matter of weeks or days. To combat this shift, CISOs, and risk management leaders recognize the need for two key measures.

• Increase the frequency of exercises
• Improve the content of exercises to keep things fresh over time

Organizations are opting for cyber ranges because of the increasing pace of new and evolving attacks. These ranges allow for a combination of structured, curriculum-based exercises in Stage 1, as well as dynamic, context-driven content for more advanced exercises in later stages. The exercises can also be updated in real-time to reflect current attack trends and scenarios.

The ideal cyber range should have the ability to be customized with content that can be changed in real-time. This allows a company to quickly incorporate exercises based on recent attacks, making the range more relevant and useful by enabling organizations to quickly improve their security posture and learn faster.

Conclusion: Are You Ready for a Dedicated Cyber Range?

It’s recommended to start with stage 1 and 2 capabilities before considering a dedicated cyber range. Try conducting a single cyber range exercise to assess its usefulness for your team and organization. When planning for a cyber range, consider the utilization rate to maximize your investment. Make sure it’s feasible for your team and enterprise to use it frequently. As a backup plan, consider if it can serve as a temporary command center in case of an emergency.

Before deciding on a cyber range, it is important to consider the advantages and disadvantages of the three options available: building one internally, outsourcing to a trusted vendor, or a combination of both. It is recommended to have a clear understanding of the concept and its value to your organization before making a decision.

• On-premise ranges that are exclusively dedicated to cyber security are costlier to construct and keep running, however, they offer the benefit of fostering personal connections among team members as they work together in person. This type of range has become a more feasible choice in recent times as the number of employees working on-site has increased.
• Before the pandemic, many organizations did not consider setting up a completely virtual cyber range. Virtual ranges are cost-effective to establish and upgrade, and they offer greater flexibility. However, some organizations value in-person interactions.
• Some customers have approached us asking for a combination of virtual and physical components in their cyber range, which is referred to as a hybrid version. Although these models provide more flexibility and can include vendors and partners, they are also more costly to set up.

Having a cyber range at your disposal can greatly enhance your security capabilities and preparedness. To ensure you choose the best option for your organization, it’s important to go through a thorough decision-making process.

 

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Here at CourseMonster, we know how hard it may be to find the right time and funds for training. We provide effective training programs that enable you to select the training option that best meets the demands of your company.

For more information, please get in touch with one of our course advisers today or contact us at training@coursemonster.com

A guide has been created to assist in moving your application from Cloud Foundry to the Liberty Buildpack by Paketo.

IBM has announced the end-of-life for the liberty-for-java buildpack in Cloud Foundry, and users are in need of a migration option. The recommended solution is to use the Paketo Buildpack for Liberty, a cloud-native alternative. The key benefit of using Paketo Buildpack is the capability to convert application source code into consistent container images, which can be used across various platforms, providing greater flexibility and ease of updates.

Additional benefits of using the Paketo Buildpack for Liberty include the capability to construct your application image without the need for a Dockerfile, efficient rebuilds due to built-in caching, and simple modification and updating options.

What’s in the migration guide?

To simplify the migration process, we have created a guide that is divided into two primary parts: creating your Liberty application using the Paketo Buildpack for Liberty, and advanced capabilities for Liberty applications. The guide contains a feature-by-feature comparison of Cloud Foundry and Paketo Buildpack commands in each section. These sections are intended to assist you in moving your application from Cloud Foundry to the Paketo Buildpack for Liberty.

The section of the guide on constructing your Liberty application with the Paketo Buildpack includes the following steps:

• Building a container image from application source code
• Building an application with a simple war file
• Building an application from a Liberty server
• Building an application from a Liberty-packaged server
• Building an application by using UBI images

The section of the guide on advanced capabilities for Liberty applications that utilize the Paketo Buildpack for Liberty includes the following areas:

• Providing server configuration at build time
• Using Liberty profiles to build applications
• Installing custom features
• Installing interim fixes

 

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Here at CourseMonster, we know how hard it may be to find the right time and funds for training. We provide effective training programs that enable you to select the training option that best meets the demands of your company.

For more information, please get in touch with one of our course advisers today or contact us at training@coursemonster.com

Imagine this scenario: A traveler goes on a camping trip and decides to extend their RV rental during their trip. However, when they try to call customer service for help, they have a difficult time getting through and are redirected multiple times. The process becomes frustrating and causes them to question whether the additional rental is worth the hassle. From the perspective of the customer service agent, they are also dealing with a frustrated customer and trying to gather information quickly, which can be stressful. These types of situations are unfortunately common and can be costly for the company, as well as frustrating for both the customer and the agent.

Artificial intelligence has made significant progress in improving customer service through conversational solutions. These solutions allow organizations to better meet customer expectations, streamline operations, and reduce expenses while also increasing customer satisfaction. By implementing AI into customer service processes, companies can achieve more cost-effective operations and satisfied customers.

In today’s fast-paced environment, how can conversational AI assist in meeting customer expectations?

By implementing conversational AI in your call center, you can achieve the following benefits:

1. Increased customer and agent satisfaction. Prolonged wait times and unanswered questions can lead to dissatisfaction for both customers and agents, as well as hinder the efficiency of the business. However, by utilizing advanced natural language understanding (NLU) and automation, resolution can be achieved more quickly, leading to a win-win situation for all parties involved.
2. Improved call resolution rates. AI and machine learning can provide more self-service options and route customers to the appropriate support channels, using data from past customer interactions to improve responses. This also helps agents handle high call volumes more effectively and improve resolution rates, leading to better customer experiences and a stronger brand reputation.
3. Reduced operational costs. By using AI-powered virtual agents, it is possible to handle up to 70% of calls automatically, potentially saving your business an estimated $5.50 per contained call and saving time for customers.

Not all AI platforms are built the same

At the most basic level, you have AI bots that follow a set of predetermined rules and can only provide limited responses. For example, if you call customer service for your telecom provider and ask about an unlimited data plan, you might be asked a series of questions based on strict if-then scenarios “…say yes if you want to review service plans; say yes if you want unlimited data.”

One step higher on the AI ladder is level two AI with machine learning and intent detection. For example, if you accidentally type “speal to an agenr,” this type of virtual assistant would be able to understand your intention and provide a proper response: “I’m sorry, did you mean to say ‘speak to an agent’?”

IBM Watson® Assistant is a virtual agent that constantly learns and utilizes extensive resources. It is classified as level three AI, which is the most advanced and powerful form of AI with access to vast amounts of data and research capabilities.

IBM Watson Assistant, deployed at Vodafone, a leading telecommunications company in Germany, exhibits level three capabilities. In addition to answering questions across various platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, and RCS, it can also retrieve and respond to requests from databases and communicate in multiple languages. It is able to analyze data, customize interactions, and continually learn and improve. “*Insert Name*, transferring you to one of our agents who can answer your question about coverage abroad.” 

By using Watson AI, you can improve the performance of your call center with round-the-clock support, fast response times, and high resolution rates. This AI can be seamlessly integrated with your current systems and processes across all customer channels and touchpoints, without the need to switch your technology stack. Watson AI offers the following benefits:

• Best-in-class NLU
• Intent detection
• Large language models
• Unsupervised learning
• Advanced analytics
• AI-powered agent assist
• Easy integration with existing systems
• Consulting services

These features can help transform customer service and support to meet the needs and pace of your business.

Why add complexity when you can simplify with AI? 

A Gartner® report predicts that by 2031, chatbots and virtual assistants powered by conversational AI will handle 30% of interactions that would have previously been handled by human agents, an increase from the 2% projected for 2022. In order to stay competitive, modern contact centers need to keep up with AI advancements. Leading companies, like Watson, continuously learn and analyze data in order to continually improve and evolve.

Watson Assistant can be easily integrated into your company’s infrastructure and provides reliable, user-friendly support and self-service options. For example, Camping World, the top retailer of recreational vehicles, used IBM Watson AI-powered virtual assistant Arvee to handle an increase in customer demand during the COVID-19 pandemic. By implementing Arvee in their call center, Camping World was able to improve agent efficiency by 33% and increase customer engagement by 40%.

Watson Assistant can improve efficiency and streamline processes, allowing human agents to provide higher quality, personalized service when necessary. For instance, a frustrated customer who was previously on hold can now enjoy their camping trip thanks to the capabilities of Watson Assistant, eliminating the need for hold music and replacing it with the sounds of nature.

 

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Here at CourseMonster, we know how hard it may be to find the right time and funds for training. We provide effective training programs that enable you to select the training option that best meets the demands of your company.

For more information, please get in touch with one of our course advisers today or contact us at training@coursemonster.com